Help identify new fish please? New 55g tank

[Colin_T]

If you insulate the base, back and sides of the tank with 1-2 inch thick polystyrene foam sheets, it will help the heater keep the water warmer. A coverglass on the top of the tank can also help trap heat in the water.

I don't know what the hood is like but you can buy LED strip lights that don't take up much space and might fit in the hood to provide a bit more light. Check out the local hardware store for LED lights.

 

[outofwater]

I have heaters laying around, so I put a second heater in to temporarily fix the temperature issue.

Also added 2 more of each the black and white skirt tetra, so their total is now 6.

The dojos are constantly plotting against my plant ideas, but so far so good, overall.

Some are wilting a bit, I want to think it is a natural thing after bring moved around, I've started dosing liquid fertilizer, hope it helps.

 

[outofwater]

Oh, and at least for now, on one of the sides I'm using the programmable light I had on the smaller tank I emptied. Still debating if I should buy a glass hinged cover that goes the entire length of the tank and then buy a programmable light fixture that fits it. Gotta sell some of the decommissioned hardware to get the $$for that though.

 

[outofwater]

An update on this tank.
2 dojo loaches rule the tank, seem to love it they swim all around and "rest" wherever they want. At the bottom,.on decorations, next to the filter, sometimes even on the plants.
The skirt tetras (total of 6) are a happy bunch. Also swimming all around, always hanging together.

All the fish in this tank ALWAYS come up to the feeding ring and will even "nibble" at my hand if I dip it in. Anyone who approaches the tank is greeting with hungry fishes waiting for food to be given.

As of the last 2 or 3 months, a black film started developing on all decorations and plants, then started to show up on the glass. I can't describe it feels slick to the touch, not like a "fiber" (as fine algae often feels) and it actually comes off relatively easy
I had to scrub the glass surfaces and also the rocks, however a simple rinse (as you would rinse rice with your hand, just gently scrubbing it) helped me get it off my plants. It, however; seems to be making a comeback. Picture attached and closeups are from one week after I clean these up. You can see the black "stuff" slowly regrowing.

I tweaked the programmable light's time and intensity and it seems to be helping (along with the deep clean I gave it a week ago).

Anyone has any idea as to what this is, and what else to do about it?

I don't expect to keep removing, cleaning and repositioning plants and decorations on every water change (qeekly) or even every 3 weeks or so. I assume this has to do with he fact that the tank now receives more natural light (whereas in my old place it was entirely dependent on artificial light) because back then I had no problems at all like this.

 

[outofwater]

I've tweaked the light a bit and this seems to have slowed down, but hasn't stopped. Every 2 weeks or so I have to "scrub" this goo off my plants.

Here's a nice picture of my dojos.

 

[Naughts]

It looks like diatom algae which is very common in new-ish tanks. As well as adjusting light intensity and duration, try to reduce organics in the water. This means feeding less, especially less dried foods. Live foods usually pollute less if at all.

The Java fern doesn’t look healthy, I also have this issue with Java fern so don’t keep them now.

 

[outofwater]

It looks like diatom algae which is very common in new-ish tanks. As well as adjusting light intensity and duration, try to reduce organics in the water. This means feeding less, especially less dried foods. Live foods usually pollute less if at all.

The Java fern doesn’t look healthy, I also have this issue with Java fern so don’t keep them now.

This wasn't an issue on this tank before moving, but moving implied basically restarting it.
I last cleaned it (including the leaf scrubbing) 2 weeks ago, and here's a picture of it as of today. One of the ferns actually grew a brand new leaf and it's gunk-free so far.
I took the wood out last time too, threw out the moss (which had become super nasty with it, it was probably mostly dead) and scrubbed the wood itself.

I'll tweak the light a bit more later today.

I've been thinking about live food for a while, I think it's time to give it a go.

Oh, and I'll be installing curtains on the window here. The smaller tank, closest to the window; now also needs regular cleanings because long, hair-thin green algae grows and chokes the plants there. But there's no growth on the glass or on the leaves of plants like in the bigger tank.

 

[Naughts]

That first photo shows blue-green algae, cyanobacteria. This is a lot of work to remove. I had it for months and tried to remove all traces of it each week which, like you describe, is a lot of working cleaning the decor and substrate. Then it disappeared but I don't know why. I'd reduced light and organics and increased water flow and movement and they didn't seem to make an impact but then one day it just stopped coming back. Maybe it just has to run it's course?

 

[outofwater]

Did I mess up here?

An update.

I think I've got the algae/bacteria under control after months of tweaking the artificial and natural light, hand cleaning and pruning the affected plants and adding more plants.

A week ago I added 4 serpae tetra. A day after one of my dojo loaches was dead.

Tbis is my 50/55 gallon tankm
All water parameters are ok: zero ammonia, zero nitrates, zero nitrites, pH at 7, temp at 74°F.
Measured before any of thus happened and re-measured after most recent water change, and first death (the first dojo)

Chalked it up to "it happens" and added 4 more serpae to make it a nice round 8. Also added half a dozen ottos.

This morning my second loach was found dead, one of my black skirt tetras as well and a second one (both whites) show fin damage.

Placed the injured one in a little fry container inside the tank for now, will treat him shortly. Seems otherwise in good spirits and I anticipate recovery.

Did I screw up this tank by adding the serpaes? I read before adding them, and besides an occasional mention of possible fin nipping, which everyone assured would not be an issue on a large group and big enough tank, went for them.

I've sat for 30 minutes at a time a couple if times observing the fish, I haven't seen any display of aggression, the serpaes seem to keep to themselves on whatever section of the tank they school together. Occasionally they will split up and swim around, but quickly regroup and again, as far as I could tell, do not bother anyone.

I'm fed up....

 

[outofwater]

Just to add that neither of the dojos showed any sign of being physically hurt. No nipped fins, nothing that would tell they had been hurt by other fish.

However, just as I hit "post" i did see one of the serpaes try to go after one of the black skirts, and another one is literally hiding under the wood.

I guess I did mess up with these....

 

[Essjay]

I once bought serpaes and next day every other fish in the tank had bits missing. They went back to the shop.

Nippy fish are often worse if there aren't enough of them (I had just 6 as that was the recommended shoal size back then). It is usually recommended to keep at least 15 of them, but they still might nip other fish even then.

 

[outofwater]

I once bought serpaes and next day every other fish in the tank had bits missing. They went back to the shop.

Nippy fish are often worse if there aren't enough of them (I had just 6 as that was the recommended shoal size back then). It is usually recommended to keep at least 15 of them, but they still might nip other fish even then.

Thank you... I guess thank you for editing the language too

After your comment, and witnessing that in fact they are going after the other fish, I will return them.


I'm most annoyed at losing the dojos. Hard to get them around here, and expensive (by my modest standards, compared to all the other fish I keep).

What would you recommend I get? I picked the serpaes because I wanted something bright. Chili rasboras were the other option but those were also nowhere to be found nearby.

At some point I will at least replace the 2 dojos possibly add 3 this time, and I still would like something with color, but not something that will terrorize these other guys....

Thank you again.

 

[Essjay]

Can you get red phantom tetras (Hyphessobrycon sweglesi)? They are similar to serpaes but without the reputation.

Hyphessobrycon sweglesi – Red Phantom Tetra (Megalamphodus sweglesi) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I second the red phantoms. They are prettier than serpaes, in my opinion, but very gentle and peaceful, even shy. A big group of them looks wonderful.

 

[seangee]

One more who has sent serpaes back. They are terrorists!